Microchip?

Post your pictures and any questions here of European tortoises e.g. Ibera Spur Thigh, Ibera Graeca, Marginated, Hermanns, Kleinmanni and we include the Horsfield tortoise. Also, do add pictures of Mediterranean tortoises you have seen in the wild.
Post Reply
BungalowBel
Posts: 11
Joined: 17 Mar 2019, 16:10

Microchip?

Post by BungalowBel » 18 Mar 2019, 09:50

Is it possible to microchip my three-year old horsefield, Theresa?

User avatar
Nina
Posts: 1993
Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 11:22

Re: Microchip?

Post by Nina » 18 Mar 2019, 10:03

As far as I know, tortoises can be microchipped once their plastrons (the underside) is more than 100mm in length, but I think I would wait until the tortoise is a bit bigger. There is a bit of a controversy over this issue, as while many tortoises that have been lost or stolen have been reunited with their owners due to microchipping, there are some reports of microchips migrating/moving to other places under the skin, and tihs is not good. I'm not really well up on the latest views on this issue, so hopefully someone else will come in with some better answers.

I know that Theresa is a Horsfield, and they are certainly known as escape artists (they are a burrowing species and can dig a tunnel down, under and out of a pen in record time), so a microchip might be a good idea, but a microchip is of no use unless an escaped tortoise is found and taken to a place where it can be scanned (and many people who find tortoises don't even know that they can be microchipped and so would never think of that). Personally I'm of two minds on this question.

Nina

BungalowBel
Posts: 11
Joined: 17 Mar 2019, 16:10

Re: Microchip?

Post by BungalowBel » 22 Mar 2019, 10:44

Thanks for your reply Nina. I too had the thought that people might not even think of a microchip, so have gone off the idea.

Now this might seem a sill y question, but it is a serious one.........can I write our phone number on her underside in marker pen? Or would it be toxic?

User avatar
lin
Posts: 1031
Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 11:27

Re: Microchip?

Post by lin » 22 Mar 2019, 13:40

Although a marker pen would say its permanent you will find that it will wear off being on the bottom (or even the top walking through undergrowth and the likes) of the shell and the natural movement of the tortoise.
I know Nina enquired about something called a tile once, so hopefully she will come on when she is in and let you know the details of her finding on that.

Lin

User avatar
lin
Posts: 1031
Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 11:27

Re: Microchip?

Post by lin » 23 Mar 2019, 13:42

Hiya again.
i have found the link to the tile thing that I mentioned yesterday. I dont know if it would work but its seems good and fairly cheap. The only thing is I dont know how I would attach it to a tortoise. They are not very big but do have a read and see what you think.
https://www.expertreviews.co.uk/gadgets ... 018-review

Lin

BungalowBel
Posts: 11
Joined: 17 Mar 2019, 16:10

Re: Microchip?

Post by BungalowBel » 26 Mar 2019, 09:43

Thanks for the info guys! The tile thing looks handy...problem is attaching it as you say.

Still I have a few months to ponder on this as it is nowhere near warm enough for her to go out.

Found this....but think harness could get caught in vegetation.... https://web-assets.sugru.com/hero/uploa ... owqHJC.jpg

User avatar
lin
Posts: 1031
Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 11:27

Re: Microchip?

Post by lin » 26 Mar 2019, 12:15

Ah, sugru, brilliant stuff. I put a towel ring on the bathroom tiles years ago and my grandson hung on it pulling it off, as they do. On closer inspection I see the backing plate was still there and the ring just needed screwing back on. Amazing stuff. I also made a teeny hook shape to hand my phone cord up from the cats chewing them. Its still there stick on the light switch hanging whatever fits.

I am wondering if you could buy some and fashion something really small like two halfs of a heart and bring them across each other to join at the botton leaving a slot that could house a tile and although the sugru will remain it will only be for the summer and hardly cover any shell. I [attachment=0]2019-03-26_11-45-47_950.jpg[/attachment]
They also do a skin friendly sugru. Its not toxic, pet and child friendly (although they dont advise eating it).
Have a look and see what you think and I hope Nina will join in but when you think people use a dob of nail varnish I doubt a dob of this will be any different.
Oh, and I dont want to find my hand drawn picture in the Tate National gallery - lol.
https://sugru.com/family-safe-formula
Lin
Attachments
2019-03-26_11-45-47_950.jpg

User avatar
lin
Posts: 1031
Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 11:27

Re: Microchip?

Post by lin » 26 Mar 2019, 20:16

Oh look what I found.
https://www.thetileapp.com/en-gb/blog/p ... le-turtles
and apparently they can be stuck on with a little dab of hot glue.

Lin
Attachments
55506869_1.jpg
turtle-pet-locator-tile-app.jpg

BeeL
Posts: 6
Joined: 25 Jun 2021, 10:50

Re: Microchip?

Post by BeeL » 25 Jun 2021, 12:23

Thank you so much for this post! Ed, our Horsefield, is a real escape artist - he has the freedom of a large area in our garden, which we always believe to be ‘tortoise proof’. However, he’s small and lightweight and frequently manages to squeeze or climb out! I’d been looking for a suitable tracker and this post pointed me in the right direction and I am very grateful. We secured the smallest tile to his shell with epoxy resin (after much research) and it has remained in place so far and works well. It has already thwarted an escape adventure! Brilliant!
Attachments
6BAD9F80-A2F8-4C9D-8A71-D03E045B0DE4.jpeg
6BAD9F80-A2F8-4C9D-8A71-D03E045B0DE4.jpeg (63.08 KiB) Viewed 9058 times

CritterMama
Posts: 43
Joined: 21 Mar 2021, 13:43

Re: Microchip?

Post by CritterMama » 25 Jun 2021, 19:48

That is adorable BeeL! I got images of it turning from black to white and sending out beeping sounds when he "puts it in reverse"! :lol:
Critter Mama

One Husband, one Bearded Dragon, one Panther Chameleon, one Labrador Retriever, and now a baby Hermann's Tortoise!

BeeL
Posts: 6
Joined: 25 Jun 2021, 10:50

Re: Microchip?

Post by BeeL » 30 Jun 2021, 18:35

:lol: I know!! Bless him 😊

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests